Albion Rovers and Ayr Utd drew 0-0 in the League Cup. The fixture is part of the Group Stage - 1 stage in the 2021 season. The match was played at The Reigart Stadium in Coatbridge. G. Irvine officiated the match. The full-time result capped a Albion Rovers vs Ayr Utd meeting in League Cup with detailed post-match statistics available on Sportra. This match centre covers lineups, live events, player ratings, team statistics, xG, head-to-head history, and related news for Albion Rovers and Ayr Utd. On Sportra you can view xG, lineups, match statistics, events, player ratings, predictions, head-to-head history, and related news for this fixture.
League CupRecorded meetings: 0 (available previous meetings, not necessarily all-time).
The World Cup gave MLS unprecedented momentum. Keeping it will depend less on signing aging icons than convincing America’s best young players to stay“Thanks World, we’ll take it from here,” is Major League Soccer’s message to the American public. Yet two moves in the last week were emblematic of the issues the league faces in taking on the mantle of North America’s hosting of the game’s grandest stage.A rising, under-the-radar homegrown player left for Europe, and a veteran with immense pedigree arrived, likely to close out his career. Sebastian Berhalter’s swapped title-chasing Vancouver Whitecaps for Middlesbrough of the EFL Championship. Free agent Brazil legend Casemiro traded Manchester’s Old Trafford for Nu Stadium in Miami. Continue reading...
Club have been promoted three times in four yearsPhil Parkinson’s side missed out on playoffs in 2026The Wrexham co-owner Ryan Reynolds called it a “punch-me moment” – his club playing Liverpool in a pre-season friendly at Yankee Stadium just five years after he and Rob McElhenney (now simply Rob Mac) completed their takeover of a club languishing in the National League. The knockout blow would be playing Liverpool at Anfield in the Premier League in 2027-28 and the manager, Phil Parkinson, accepts there is expectation on Wrexham to complete their remarkable rise through the divisions next season.Parkinson’s team face Liverpool with confidence in the Bronx on Wednesday having defeated Manchester United and Leeds in pre-season so far and moved on from the anguish of missing out on the Championship playoffs on the final day of last season. The near-miss was undoubtedly a setback to an ambitious club’s grand vision but finishing seventh in the Championship at the first time of asking, Parkinson insists, was an accomplishment that should not be dismissed lightly. Continue reading...
Mancini replaces Gattuso for second spell in chargeRanieri takes over from Paolo Maldini in overseeing roleRoberto Mancini has agreed to be Italy head coach for a second time, the president of the Italian Football Federation (FIGC), Giovanni Malagò, said on Tuesday, also confirming Claudio Ranieri would take over as technical director.Mancini replaces Gennaro Gattuso, who left the post in April after Italy failed to qualify for a third World Cup in succession, and returns to a job he held between 2018 and 2023. He led the national team to European Championship glory in 2021 with a penalty shootout victory over England at Wembley but then failed to reach the 2022 World Cup and a slow start to Euro 2024 qualifying. In total, Mancini managed Italy for 58 matches during his first spell and at club level has managed Inter, Fiorentina and Manchester City, where he spent three years and guided them to their first Premier League title in 2011-12. Continue reading...
Today’s rumours are napping on the beachAs sports fans everywhere eagerly await the resumption of cricket’s County Championship season, what better way to while away a few minutes than to contemplate the latest football transfer rumours?Manchester United and Michael Carrick want to sign the 23-year-old Portugal winger Francisco Conceição from Juventus. The tricky former Porto player, who recently returned from the World Cup, is valued at about £43m (€50m). United are also said to be ahead of Chelsea in the race to snap up Alex Scott from Bournemouth. Continue reading...
Neymar's future at Santos has been put heavily in doubt after a reported confrontation in the locker room with club youngsters Gabriel Bontempo and Joao Ananias in the last game against Chapecoense. Neymar has rejoined Santos following his 2026 World Cup run with Brazil, but his long-term standing with O Peixe is once again on shaky ground. Following reports of a heated locker-room altercation with young teammates Gabriel Bontempo and Joao Ananias, serious doubts have re-emerged surrounding his future at the club. In the days leading up to his return to action, Neymar raised eyebrows by attending the BSOP Winter poker tournament, the fourth leg of the 2026 Brazilian Poker Championship, while Santos was in Venezuela facing UCV in the Copa Sudamericana. The Brazilian superstar fired back against public criticism over his absence, but the incident reportedly left a sour taste among his teammates. According to Brazilian outlet Globo Esporte, tensions boiled over Saturday during a match against Chapecoense, where Neymar berated youngsters Bontempo and Ananias in the dressing room following a disappointing draw. His behavior at halftime and after the final whistle at Vila Belmiro frustrated players, coaching staff, and Santos front-office executives alike. Things initially started bright for Santos, with Neymar opening the scoring in the 36th minute after a crisp team buildup, celebrating by mimicking a card dealer shuffling a deck. However, Santos collapsed early in the second half, conceding two goals in a 10-minute span before Neymar salvaged a draw late in the match by converting a penalty. Neymar Junior of Santos celebrates after scoring against Chapecoense. According to Globo Esporte, Neymar took an overly sharp tone when criticizing midfielder Bontempo and center-back Ananias, directly questioning the skill level of the young defender, who scored an own goal during the second-half collapse. Through his PR team, Bontempo downplayed the rift, describing it as a standard halftime team dressing-down rather than a targeted personal attack. Ananias also released a statement denying any direct confrontation with Neymar, though he confirmed a team-wide reprimand took place. The incident follows another recent training-ground clash where Neymar slapped teammate Robinho Jr., an episode for which the former Barcelona star later issued a public apology. Neymar and Santos reach a breaking point Neymar’s homecoming to Santos in February 2025 was pitched as a win-win: the forward would stay match-fit for Brazil’s 2026 World Cup campaign, while the club reaped major sponsorship deals and star power on the pitch. But the partnership has proven turbulent, with both sides growing increasingly dissatisfied. Santos management remains unhappy with Neymar’s leadership style and his treatment of younger players. That frustration was exacerbated by his appearance at the poker event on the very night Santos kicked off its South American cup fixture. Neymar, meanwhile, has voiced frustration with the club’s infrastructure and what he perceives as a lack of media protection at the CT Rei Pele training facility. Despite funding ongoing upgrades to the facility himself, Neymar and his father have openly questioned the quality of Santos’ roster as the club fights a relegation battle for the second straight year. Neymar Junior of Santos competes for the ball with Bruno Leonardo of Chapecoense. To make matters worse, Globo Esporte reports that Santos owes Neymar over R$ 90 million ($17.5M USD) in unpaid debts, having fallen up to three months behind on image-rights payments this year. With the 34-year-old under contract through late 2026, a contract extension is now considered highly unlikely by both camps.
Referees’ body stands by diversity initiativesWebb believes diverse talent pool will ‘raise standards’Howard Webb, England’s chief refereeing officer, has vowed to continue increasing the talent pool from under-represented communities in English football’s officiating pathway, rejecting the wider backlash against diversity initiatives.Addressing that historic under-representation has prompted a new direction. In June, the newly named Professional Referees’ Body (Pro Ref), formerly called Professional Game Match Officials, announced that Select Group 1, 2 and its supplementary list had been merged into a new, single Professional Referee Group in the men’s professional game and will largely service the Premier League and the Championship from the start of the 2026-27 season. Pro Ref said it would create flexibility in appointments and help to recognise a wider variety of talented match officials as part of the organisation’s new direction. Continue reading...
Aodhan Doherty has joined Falkirk on a season-long loan as the Northern Ireland Under-21 winger signed a new four-year contract with Blackburn Rovers. The 20-year-old had played 14 times for Linfield in Northern Ireland's top flight before joining the Championship club last summer and made his first-team debut for Rovers against Hull city in the FA Cup in January, before featuring in three league games later the same month. Falkirk manager John McGlynn says Doherty is not just a straight replacement on the left for Calvin Miller, who was sold to Hearts this summer, as he can play as a number 10 as well as out wide.
Liverpool’s new head coach is settling into the pre-season tour in Chicago as he begins to reshape the Reds’ identityOver coffee in Liverpool’s plush hotel in Chicago, Andoni Iraola presents his theory for the phenomenal success of Basque and Spanish coaches. It is a theory that will shape his entire approach to life as the Liverpool head coach and his attempts to bring the connection, the joy and the belief back to Anfield. It centres on the power of the collective.The Champions League, the Premier League, the Europa League, the FA Cup, the League Cup, the European Championship and, as of Sunday, the World Cup: all currently in the hands of Basque and Spanish coaches, even if Pep Guardiola has since taken his leave from Manchester City. Next season, four men from the small Basque region of Gipuzkoa will manage four of the Premier League’s main contenders, Iraola included, alongside Mikel Arteta, Xabi Alonso and Unai Emery. There is, Iraola believes, a simple explanation for the rise of the guys from Gipuzkoa and for Spanish dominance across a global stage. Continue reading...
From the wrong headset in an F2 garage to Fifa overturning a red card, we are in a landscape where fairness is the enemyA funny and very small thing happened at the Formula Two race at Spa on Sunday. Noel León, of Campos Racing, carved his way through the field to finish seventh, earning himself six points in the drivers’ championship, and promptly left the circuit to go and do whatever it is Noel León likes to do after a race. Take a nap, hit the Belgian brews, congratulate himself on his palindromic name – whatever. Anyway, while he was doing that, more than three hours after the chequered flag, the FIA governing body called a meeting and decided to disqualify him.The reason: a serious breach of appendix 5 and article 21.5 of the F2 Sporting Regulations – and assuming you don’t have those to hand, it’s the rule governing the use of headsets. During the race, a guest of León had been spotted in the Campos garage wearing what was deemed the wrong type of headset. According to the aforementioned appendix 5, only listening devices may be used by non-team personnel. This headset had a microphone, albeit upturned and unused. Continue reading...
The teenage sensation left New Jersey with soccer's biggest prize, but there was far more to celebrate than a winner's medal. Lamine Yamal capped another unforgettable chapter in his remarkable career as Spain defeated Argentina 1-0 after extra time to lift the 2026 World Cup. The teenage sensation left New Jersey with soccer’s biggest prize, but there was far more to celebrate than a winner’s medal. Stay with us as we reveal every remarkable World Cup record Yamal established during Spain‘s victorious campaign, achievements that have already secured his place among the game’s greatest young talents. Spain claimed its second FIFA World Cup title, 16 years after its triumph in South Africa, thanks to Ferran Torres’ decisive extra-time strike. The victory completed a tournament in which Luis de la Fuente’s side consistently impressed, finishing the competition by limiting Argentina to virtually no attacking threat while producing one of the most dominant defensive displays ever seen in a World Cup final. Every World Cup record Lamine Yamal set Spain’s victory brought far more than a winners’ medal for Yamal. The 19-year-old left the United States having broken several World Cup and international soccer records during one extraordinary summer. Youngest player to win both the World Cup and the European Championship The biggest milestone of Yamal’s tournament came after the final whistle. At 19 years and six days old, he became the youngest player in soccer history to win both the FIFA World Cup and the UEFA European Championship. Having already helped Spain lift Euro 2024, the Barcelona winger added the World Cup to his collection before turning 20. No other teenager has ever completed this international double, placing him in a category entirely of his own. Lamine Yamal of Spain celebrates with his Winners Medal as he walks past the UEFA Euro 2024 Henri Delaunay Trophy First teenager to complete soccer’s biggest international double Closely linked to that achievement is another landmark. Yamal became the first player under the age of 20 to capture both major international trophies, confirming his extraordinary rise from teenage prospect to global superstar. His success has drawn inevitable comparisons with soccer legends such as Pelé, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. Yet Yamal has already accomplished something none of them managed before reaching their twenties, giving Spain a player capable of shaping international soccer for years to come. First teenager to play in both European Championship and World Cup final The 2026 final also saw Yamal create another unique piece of history. He became the first soccerer ever to feature in both a UEFA European Championship final and a FIFA World Cup final while still a teenager. Only two years separated Spain’s Euro triumph from its World Cup success, allowing Yamal to achieve a feat that may remain unmatched for many years. His consistency on soccer’s biggest stages has become one of the defining stories of his young career. Historic age gap with Lionel Messi The final itself produced one final statistical curiosity. Yamal and Lionel Messi became the first players in World Cup final history to start for opposing teams while separated by more than 20 years in age. Images of the pair embracing after the final whistle quickly became iconic. Many observers viewed the moment as symbolic, with the veteran Argentine legend congratulating the teenager now widely expected to define soccer’s next era. Lamine Yamal #19 of Spain is congratulated by Lionel Messi #10 of Argentina Fourth-youngest World Cup winner in history Lifting the trophy added another prestigious record to Yamal’s growing resume. He finished the tournament tied as the fourth-youngest player ever to win the FIFA World Cup. Only Pele, Giuseppe Bergomi and Ronaldo Nazario achieved the feat at a younger age. Considering the level of competition in modern international soccer, joining that company represents another extraordinary mil
With his winning goal against Lionel Messi's Argentina, Spain's Ferran Torres repeated the World Cup feat only Mario Gotze was able to achieve. Ferran Torres emerged as Spain‘s unexpected hero in the 2026 World Cup final, scoring the decisive extra-time goal against Argentina to secure La Roja its second star. With the clutch strike, the Spanish forward joined a highly exclusive club alongside Mario Gotze as the only substitutes to ever crush Lionel Messi’s championship dreams in a final. Unable to break into Spain’s starting eleven for the match, Torres made his impact felt when it mattered most. Just minutes into the second half of extra time, the Barcelona forward tracked a precise header from Nico Williams into the center of the box and unleashed a clinical half-volley that stood as the lone goal of the match. By finding the back of the net against Argentina, Torres became just the second player in soccer history to come off the bench and score the definitive, trophy-winning goal in a World Cup final. Fascinatingly, the only other time a substitute decided a World Cup final occurred recently, and it was also Messi who suffered the heartbreaking blow. The pioneer of the feat was Germany’s Mario Gotze, who famously subbed into the 2014 final in Rio de Janeiro to net the extra-time winner that secured Die Mannschaft its fourth star. Ferran Torres speaks about the relief of scoring the game-winning goal in the FIFA World Cup Final 🇪🇸 pic.twitter.com/WFYK80wkR5— FOX Sports (@FOXSports) July 19, 2026 At the time, Gotze entered the field late in regulation, replacing legendary striker Miroslav Klose in the 88th minute. Following a precise cross from Andre Schurrle in the 113th minute, deep into the second half of extra time, Gotze controlled the ball with his chest before firing a brilliant volley past Sergio Romero at the far post. Ferran Torres takes home Man of the Match honors Defensively, Pau Cubarsi served as the team’s absolute cornerstone, ultimately earning honors as the tournament’s best young player, while midfield maestro Rodri controlled the tempo to capture the World Cup Golden Ball. However, before the breakthrough, Spain’s attacking unit had looked like the weakest link on the pitch throughout a cagey final. By delivering the tournament-winning goal, the Barcelona forward secured the World Cup Final Man of the Match award, celebrating the historic hardware alongside his teammates after validating his role as the ultimate super-sub for Spain’s second star.
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